BENGALURU: Police constable K E Venkatesh, who chased down a robber for 4 km in the wee hours on Thursday and finally caught him, couldn’t have expected a better reward. The constable, who is getting married in November, will get an all-expenses-paid vacation for his honeymoon, courtesy his own department.Venkatesh (31) is attached to Bellandur police station. Come November, he and his new bride will get to spend two nights in Munnar and one night on an Allepey houseboat. As a gift, the cost of travel by air and bus as well as all meals and stay will be covered by the department.
Describing Venkatesh’s heroic act, a senior police officer said, “Around 2.45 am on Thursday, Venkatesh was returning to the station after night patrol when he saw a gang of two armed men following Hanumanth, a KFC employee. The duo snatched Hanumanth’s mobile phone after threatening him at knifepoint and fled the scene. Hanumanth started screaming and Venkatesh heard his cries.
“Without waiting for his colleague, Venkatesh began chasing the robbers who were on a scooter and headed towards Koramangala. After chasing the vehicle for about 4 km, Venkatesh managed to hit the vehicle and the accused Arun Dayal (21) fell down,” the officer said.
“His accomplice, however, managed to escape. Venkatesh quickly pinned down Arun and alerted Koramangala patrol squad who took them to the police station for further inquiry,” the officer said.
“Venkatesh’s presence of mind and courage has not only helped us crack the robbery case but also provides inspiration to others in the department. I came to know that Venkatesh got engaged recently and is getting married on November 2. The idea behind the gesture is to reward cops for acts of bravery,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) Abdul Ahad said.
Past case
It may be recalled that on June 18, Chandrakumar, a head constable at Jnanabharathi police station, had chased a notorious chain snatcher, Achuthkumar Gani, and nabbed him. City police commissioner T Suneel Kumar had rewarded him with `1 lakh. Chandrakumar is currently recovering at a private hospital. He also got a month’s sick leave along with a paid South India trip.